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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · straw · lie · game · hide · court · racket · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. chip — to eat
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — wild animals
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com